How To Age A Cat By Teeth
For many cat lovers, their feline companions are more like family than pets. And like any member of your family, it’s important to keep track of your cat’s age. But unlike humans and dogs, it’s not just about knowing when to have them tested for senior discounts or Medicare benefits. Knowing how old your kitty is helps you plan for their future health needs and can also help you keep your precious pet healthy and safe for as long as possible. In this article we’ll cover everything from identifying what teeth to look at when determining age to understanding how changes in dental health can affect overall wellness throughout life (including early detection of things like tumors).
How to tell a cat’s age by its teeth.
The teeth of a cat are one of the best ways to determine its age. By looking at the mouth, you will be able to tell if your cat is young, middle-aged or elderly.
Adult teeth.
As your cat ages, you may notice that his or her teeth change. Unlike our own human teeth, which get worn down and eventually fall out as we age, cats’ teeth are permanent. Adult cats have 42 teeth that are the same size and are not worn down from chewing like humans’ teeth are. These characteristics make it easier to determine how old your cat is by looking at their face and mouth.
The following list includes some of the unique features of each stage of life:
- Adult Teeth – Teeth in this stage tend to be small and close together, with a flat surface at the top of each tooth called cuspids (or cusps). They may also have slight grooves running across them called fangs; these serve as a good guide for determining whether or not your pet is an adult based on their appearance alone.
- Senior Teeth – In this stage, owners will notice changes in their pets’ mouths as they become more malformed over time due to wearing out around certain areas such as molars or premolar areas where there isn’t enough room left for them anymore! This means there won’t be any gaps between one another anymore either because they’ll all fit together perfectly now.”
The final molar.
The final molar is the last tooth to come in and it’s often called the third molar. The final molar is located at the back of your cat’s mouth, opposite (or next to) their canine teeth. It sticks up under their tongue because it doesn’t fit into any other place in their mouth.
The final molars are usually referred to as “wisdom teeth.” People get wisdom teeth when they’re older because they need extra room for them as well as extra chewing power from being worn down by years of use—but cats don’t get wisdom teeth!
Instead, your cat will grow all four sets of baby teeth during its first year before losing them and replacing them with permanent adult dentition around two years old.
How you can help your aging cat.
If your cat is showing signs of aging, there are a few things you can do to help.
- Feed them a healthy diet. Cats with dental problems should be on a soft diet such as chicken and rice or tuna, in addition to treats like dental chews. You should also avoid feeding them hard treats like rawhide or pig ears because they can cause damage to their teeth and gums as well as choking risks if your pet decides to swallow the whole thing!
- Clean their teeth daily if possible with pet toothpaste and a toothbrush, but at minimum clean once per week using either human or vet recommended products (such as the Dentahex brand). This will prevent tartar buildup which can lead to painful infections down the line if not dealt with early enough!
- Brush their teeth regularly, especially if you notice any discoloration or bleeding when doing so! If this becomes too much work then consider getting an automatic brush from Amazon instead–they’re cheap enough that even people on tight budgets won’t mind buying one every few years when needed–and remember that cats don’t need special diets just because they’re getting older either; human food works great too!
A cat’s teeth are the best way to determine their age accurately
- Teeth are the only part of your cat’s body that stays the same throughout its life.
- Teeth are also the only aspect of a cat’s physical appearance that can be used to determine age—teeth are stable in shape and size, so they don’t change over time.
- In most cases, you can use teeth to determine your cat’s age with accuracy within 3 years or less.
Conclusion
The best way to determine a cat’s age is by looking at its teeth. A lot of people think that cats are like dogs and can be aged by their teeth, but they aren’t entirely correct. Dogs actually have one canine tooth per year of life, whereas cats only get two per year. That means that if your cat has a full set of teeth, then there are seven years between each set; therefore it would take about three sets before you could determine exactly how old he or she is!